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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27016138">The Arson Charge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadedBlondeBitxh/pseuds/RedheadedBlondeBitxh'>RedheadedBlondeBitxh</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout 3, Fallout 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:35:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27016138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadedBlondeBitxh/pseuds/RedheadedBlondeBitxh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Danse knows he and Cutler are never allowed in Rivet City again...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cutler &amp; Paladin Danse (Fallout)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Arson Charge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danse looked around the rickety attempt of a jail call that the Rivet City security forces had constructed. It was laughable, really, that he was even there in the first place. If it hadn’t been for Cutler’s big mouth and apparent inability to back down from a challenge, he would be happily asleep in his bunk back at the Citadel. He shot his sleeping friend an irritate glare, shaking his head in frustration. Elder Lyons would be furious to learn about the two Brotherhood soldiers under his command who just got slapped with an arson charge, and so close to the Citadel nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>It had started when Cutler started chatting up the blonde girl at the bar, as he was frequently known to do, seemingly unaware of the very obvious ring on her finger. When he saw the way she eagerly flirted back, Danse knew there was going to be trouble. The fact that the woman’s beloved was some smart-ass kid with a temper didn’t help, especially not when both he and Cutler had been drinking all night.</p><p> </p><p>Almost as soon as the other man stepped toward the pair, Danse was on his feet, making his way to what he knew would be the inevitable fight. Before he could interject and suggest that it was truly a misunderstanding, <em>not that the woman did anything to discourage the flirtation, </em>he saw the younger man shove Cutler back away from his betrothed.</p><p> </p><p>Predictably, Cutler took the assault as an indication of an all out brawl and threw a left hook that would have been impressive, had in not caused the kid to stumble back into his wife, almost knocking them both to the ground in the process.</p><p> </p><p>Immediately, Danse stepped in between the pair, extending his hands out to keep the two drunk idiots as far away from each other as possible. For the first time in all his years on the damn ship, he was desperate to see the smug scowl of any one of the guards who were supposed to be patrolling the city. Just as he could hear Cutler object to his intervention, the kid was up again, and he had apparently decided that Danse was his new target, pushing him firmly in the chest.</p><p> </p><p>It was then that his Brotherhood training kicked in, and he immediately grabbed the younger man’s wrist, yanking it into an elbow lock. The motion apparently infuriated the man further, as he had butted his head back, catching Danse right in the chin.</p><p> </p><p>The sudden force of the movement caused him to fall back into the bar, knocking the almost full oil lantern over the surface.</p><p> </p><p>The heat should have been the first clue, but he turned just in time to see the top of the bar burst into flames, apparently accelerated by the near-toxic alcohol content of the swill the bartender always claimed was just<em> really</em> strong moonshine.</p><p> </p><p>He knew that they were truly screwed as soon as he’d seen Harkness of all people enter the bar. The guard had never been a fan of he and Cutler, once again, mainly due to his friend’s proclivity for trouble and frequent dalliances with the women on board. Danse hadn’t even had time to explain what had happened before they were being thrown in the brig.</p><p> </p><p>The thought of having to tell Lyons that they missed the morning drill because they had been arrested was making him almost sick. Though to be fair, that could have be the smell of the burned fabric of his uniform.</p><p> </p><p>“Mm. Shit D, what time is it?” Cutler mumbled next to him, wincing at the bright lights as he tried to open his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You won’t believe this, but they did not actually let us pick the accommodations of our prospective jail cells before throwing us in.” Danse answered dryly, scowling down at his friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Smart-ass.” The blonde man quipped, pushing himself up from the cold, metal cot with a grunt.</p><p> </p><p>“You deserved it.” Danse smarted back, crossing his arms as he stared at his troublemaker of a friend with a clear look of disapproval.</p><p> </p><p>Cutler shot him a wide grin, nodding to the guard watching them from the doorway. “Think Sarah can talk us out of this one?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think the Creator themselves could talk us out of an arson charge. But feel free to go ahead and ask.” His sarcasm was obvious as he looked up to the sky in feigned expectation.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm. Fuck.” Cutler groaned, running a hand over his face and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah... fuck.” Danse agreed, unable to fight the small smirk pulling at his mouth despite himself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Well this is the last time we’re grabbing drinks in Rivet City. </em>
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